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Friday, December 19, 2014

Hyundai Philippines Launches 2015 Sonata (w/ Brochure)

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of Hyundai in the Philippines, used its festive Christmas Party to unveil the all-new seventh generation Sonata executive sedan to the media, dealers, and VIP guests. The all-new Sonata builds on the global success of its most immediate predecessor and is poised to set new standards in luxury, quality, and refinement. The all-new Sonata is built with four innovations in mind: Run, Stop, Versatility, Protect (RSVP) and the entire car is built to encapsulate those four elements.
Compared to the previous model, the all-new Sonata is larger in most aspects. It grows longer by 35 mm, wider by 30 mm, and taller by 10 mm; the wheelbase has been stretched by 10 mm as well. The enlarged dimensions and refined packaging equates to even more interior room. In fact, it’s been classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a large car in terms of space compared to its mid-sized competitors.

Powering the Sonata is the formidable yet familiar 2.4-liter Theta-II engine with dual continuous variable valve timing or D-CVVT. It generates a healthy 178 horsepower and 228 Nm of torque. Like before, this engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. While the 2015 Sonata may not sport higher power figures than before, it does boast of a flat underbody to improve aerodynamic efficiency and stability. In addition, it uses Advanced High Strength Steel or AHSS which is twice as strong as ordinary steel but is lighter in weight. Improving the handling are revised front MacPherson Struts and a new Dual Multi-Link rear suspension with optimized wheel geometry.

Inside, the Sonata features a horizontally laid out control scheme that’s been carefully designed for ease of use. For instance, the steering wheel took 16 months to design to ensure a comfortable, yet optimal grip. The seats, particularly the driver’s, are a product of extensive study on body pressure distribution to give it unparalleled long-distance touring comfort. The larger Sonata also boasts of luxury features such as a push button engine start/stop with Smart Trunk opening, Bluetooth hands-free and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2015 Sonata also boasts of a complete array of safety equipment with Blind Spot Detection System (BSD) making its debut. It also comes with front and rear parking sensors, a 4.3-inch LED display with rear view camera, 6 airbags, and Electronic Stability Control with Hill-start Assist.

Backing up HARI’s claim of the Sonata being a game-changer, they’ve recently announced that it’s backed by the country’s longest warranty: an 8-year, 160,000-kilometer warranty. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata comes in four colors: Ice White, Polished Metal, Phantom Black, and Aquamarine. There are two variants: the 2.4 GLS pegged at P 1,698,000 and the 2.4 Premium at P 1,898,000.

I'm the one that's been warning people here that korean cars are crap compared to japanese. The 8 year warranty of kimchi cars are useless. You'll be having difficulty claiming warranties with their laughable aftersales service. I'd rather have a high quality japanese car than a subpar korean car with a so-called 8 year "warranty".

Sonata YF Premium and Santa Fe CM owner here. Hyundai's warranty is crap, they find many ways to invalidate your warranty claims like if you don't follow the 3 months or 5000kms rule. Also the 8 year warranty is only for the transmission and engine AFAIK. So far I do not have quality issues with my Hyundai.

Wrong. Korean car manufacturers are still TRYING hard to improve their brand image but at the end, they fail miserably. No matter who they hire to design their cars, how good they may look, they will always be inferior compared to japanese cars. Korean cars are all style and no substance. Quality-wise, japanese are still the best. What's more, korean brands' aftersales service are complete bullshit.

truth hurts, but in terms of quality, reliability, NVH insulation and tech, hyundai outmatches some of the japanese brands; mitsubishi and nissan for example...hyundai has better NVH insulation than honda and mazda...hyundai matches toyota in quality and in some other aspects, especially in interior design, hyundai even assed them out...they were the unsung benchmark 4years ago, the main reason why some car manufacturers; toyota in example, raised their built quality 3years ago...

hyundai is focused in building high quality and reliable cars because they still have to prove themselves to the world, while jap cars focused on fast cars and cars that connect the driver to the car through steering and almost forgot "QUALITY"...that time where toyota struggled with quality issues, not only toyota but most of jap brands and other car brands including ford...

Reliability and quality? Don't make me laugh. Korean cars still have long ways to go before they can even come close to their Japanese rivals.

I'd rather have proven reliability than a slightly better NVH insulation. About more advanced tech, are you referring to the engine? You may think they have higher power figures than other brands but in reality, they're fuckin' slow. Seriously. Plus their handling sucks ass! What the fuck is wrong with their suspension?!

And I'll keep repeating this again and again. Their aftersales service is an utter failure. I'd rather go to my trusted shop and void my warranty than to have Hyundai service the car.

I'd be biased towards korean cars if they were good but the problem is, they're massive piles of crap compared to japanese. Naturally of course, I'm biased towards the superior products, not the cheap inferior ones.

tell that to Botchi Santos of TGPh..tell that to nathan of TFLCAR..tell that to Consumer Reports..and to all other car reviewers that said korean cars at some point assed out jap cars..and tell chevrolet and ford that they were wrong about co-creating cars with the koreans..LOL

by the way, 5years ago korean tech already surpassed japanese technology..and that is a fact..

Ok, I'll tell you a real fact. Those you mentioned are certified butt-kissers. They get paid to say positive things which in turn gives korean cars good publicity. What you should be doing is researching real world experiences by long time owners of these crappy korean cars. Most common complaint is that they're pretty much disappointed by the car's overall quality and suckish aftersales service.

No, they're not the same thing but since you mentioned korean phones, I have to say that their quality are miserable. They also break down very easily much like their automotive counterparts. The only difference is most people keep their phones for only 2-3 years, but for cars we usually replace them after 10 years or so. You wouldn't wanna waste hundred thousands of pesos for a low quality korean car would you?

It's almost the same thing and Korean phones by Samsung and LG are great. It will happen soon if the japanese car makers will not make moves to improve the quality of their brand image. Complacency and living in the past kills everything.